A Wild Ride Dominates the J/35 North American Championship
by J/Boats 16 Sep 09:59 PDT
September 5-8, 2024
J/35 North American Championship 2022 © Annapolis Yacht Club
This past weekend, the North Star Sail Club in Detroit, MI hosted the J/35 North American Championship with a fleet of twelve teams from the Great Lakes. The fleet enjoyed three fantastic days of sailing in winds varying from 12 to 27 knots!
Heading into the regatta were six-time national champion Bill Wildner on his MR BILL’S WILD RIDE and Mike Welch’s FALCON, winner of the Detroit Helly Hansen Regatta. When the regatta concluded, it was Wildner’s MR BILL’S WILD RIDE that emerged as the 2024 J/35 North American Champion!
Wildner’s MR BILL’S team had a notably unimpressive first-day score of 4-2-7, putting them far from the leaderboard. However, Wildner’s crew seemed to have a “Popeye the Sailor Man” moment the next day, as they dramatically redeemed themselves! After a poor first day, the “wild ride” team recorded a stellar 1-2-2-1-2-2 tally, winning by a substantial ten-point margin with a total of 23 points.
In a similar fashion, Mike Welch’s FALCON team began with a disappointing 5-3-9 on the first day, resembling a team of jesters. Yet, no one anticipated that they would stay slumped for long given their talents. Their final tally was impressive, finishing nearly on par with the “wild riders”! The FALCON team concluded with a score of 2-3-1-5-8-3-2 for a total of 32 points, securing the silver medal.
Dean Fitzpatrick and Gary Snider’s HONOR ROLL started with a score of 3-6-2 on day one. They were in second place after the first day, showing promise. They sailed steadily for the next two days, achieving scores of 5-4-3-2-5-6-5 for a net of 35 points, which earned them a bronze medal.
The top woman skipper was Sheri Dufresne with her boat FIREFLY. Speaking of being on fire, her team kicked off with a stellar 2-1-1 on the first day in pursuit of J/35 World Domination! However, things took a nosedive in her quest to win the J/35 NAs, leading to a final score of 4-6-4-6-6-7-6 that kept her off the podium and placed her in fourth.
J/35 40th Anniversary
The year 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Rod Johnstone’s J/35 design. The success, with over 320 hulls produced, has left a lasting impact on the sailing community. The design remains competitive and influential in races worldwide, with multiple fleets actively sailing on the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, and more.
For more sailing information about the J/35 North Americans.
